Freshly painted walls can completely transform a room or an entire home. But after the paint dries, you shouldn’t take this fresh coat for granted. If you’re paying interior house painters, the last thing you want is for your money to go to waste shortly after they’re done. On the other hand, if you’re tackling the project yourself, you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted your time. To avoid these scenarios, here are a few tips from the pros to help keep the paint in your home looking fresh.

Do the Job Well to Begin With

It might seem obvious, but most of the home painting problems people run into result from an incomplete or improper paint job. If you enjoy taking on home projects without help, then make sure you know what you’re doing.

There are many things to do before painting even begins. You have to prepare the walls to ensure the faces are smooth and even. Then you need to tape the edges, put down drop cloths, prime the walls, etc. You’ll eventually get to the painting part, but if you’re unaware of how much prep work is involved, you’ll probably end up with sloppy, uneven walls that crack and chip over time.

If you don’t have the time or tools to do this all yourself, hire professional painters. They’ll do the job well and ensure that your walls will look as fresh as possible for a long time.

Clean the Right Way

Even the best painting services can’t guarantee your home will look pristine down the road. Maintaining these walls is up to you. Fortunately, this part isn’t too difficult as long as you keep up with it.

Just as you regularly clean floors, counters, and other surfaces, be sure to clean your walls. Use a duster or vacuum with a soft-brush head to eradicate cobwebs and other accumulations. For deeper cleaning, pay attention to the type of paint applied to your walls. For oil-based paints you can use a solution of warm water and white vinegar, while latex paints should be cleaned with a non-abrasive detergent. In either case use a damp washcloth or sponge to rub away dirt or other spots.

Keep Moisture Out

Aside from cleaning, you can help maintain your home’s interior paint by keeping rooms properly climate controlled. For paint damage, the worst culprit is moisture. Humid air can allow moisture to seep behind paint and lead to expansion, bubbling, chipping, and cracking. Most of us are familiar with how steamy showers can slowly lead to bubbly ceilings overhead.

To prevent these unwanted water particles from entering and ruining your home’s paint job, make sure windows and walls are properly sealed to prevent external air from entering. Invest in dehumidifiers and air conditioners in hotter weather to maintain an even temperature and humidity level. If you can monitor the approximate humidity of your home, even better. To keep paint looking fresh, you’ll want to keep the humidity level at around 30-40% inside.

If it’s time to refresh your living spaces, contact All American Painting Plus, Inc. We won’t only meet your residential painting needs, we can help you repair any cracks in your drywall, or repair and replace rotted wood to keep your home looking and feeling fresh. Give us a call at 703-620-5563, or email us at info@aapplus.com for a quote!